1. Snorkeling: The most important attraction of Maldives tourism is exploring the rich marine life of the archipelago by snorkeling in its azure waters. Letting you spot brain corals, staghorn, Whitetip Reef Sharks, anemonefish, Hawksbill Turtles, bannerfish, Eagle Rays, fusiliers, and whale sharks, sites like Maafushi Island and Alimatha Island make the Maldives one of the best snorkeling destinations of the world. Starting from just INR 600 per head, snorkeling makes for an inexpensive water sport anyone can experience in Maldives country.
2. Kite Surfing: The warm weather and the constant tropical winds in the Maldives between the months of June and October make the island nation one of the best places to engage in kite surfing in the world. This sport demands the kite surfers to balance themselves on a longboard while holding tightly onto a triangular sail. Available in Hulhumale and Male, the water sport of kite surfing starts from INR 2,100 per person in the Maldives
3. Parasailing: Available on almost every island in Maldives, parasailing is one of the most favourite and safest water sports that can be tried by adventure enthusiasts of all age groups. Parasailing will let you glide in the deep blue sky over the vast ocean wearing a parachute while a motorboat keeps you towed down. As you enjoy gliding in the sky at high speeds, you can feel the cool sea breeze hitting your face and soak in the breathtaking panoramic views of the ocean waters. Parasailing in Maldives starts from INR 14,000 for 2 and is best enjoyed at Reethi Beach, Cocoon Beach, and Finolhu Beach.
4. Fishing: The rich marine world of the Maldivian archipelago makes fishing one of the most enjoyed water sports in the country for people of all generations. Maldives offers two kinds of fishing experiences - night fishing and morning fishing. Also referred to as ‘Big Game Fishing’, morning fishing is the easy one that lets you catch big fishes, such as barracuda, swordfish, yellowfin tuna, marlin, and wahoo. Believed to be a bit challenging, night fishing requires you to find fishes, such as squirrel fish, reef fish, jacks, emperors, and snappers, under the star-studded sky.
5. Water Skiing: Water skiing is one of the most enjoyable and easiest water sports available in the Maldives, which can be enjoyed even by the beginners. This sport can be performed in 2 ways - while in one method a cable ski installed on the waters is used, in the other method, the participant is pulled across the waters by a speedboat. Water skiing generally starts from INR 2,800 per head in the Maldives and can be done at various locations including Hulhumale and Ari Atoll.
6. Scuba Diving: Scuba diving in Maldives offers the divers the chance to swim with innumerable exotic marine creatures underneath the Indian Ocean. While you dive here, you can spot over 700 fish species and 70 coral reef species. Starting from INR 3,900 per dive, scuba diving is best done at Banana Reef in the Maldives.
Planning a romantic trip to Maldives, Checkout Maldives Honeymoon Tour Packages
The best months to indulge in a trip to Maldives is from November to March. Just for your information, you will find below the breakup for every season. The Maldives has a sunny weather all year round, you can choose the best time as per your priority. Like any other tropical country, Maldives witnesses dry and wet season. The hot and humid weather is well complemented with soothing sea breezes and surprising drizzles.
November to March: This is the peak time with many travelers travelling to this end of the world. These months are favorable with less humidity, little rain and cool clear sky.
March to April: The temperature starts soaring from the mid of April. However, March to October is the finest time for surfers.
May to November: This is the season to find resorts at their cheapest. Storms and rains are very likely this time of the year.
Also Read: Best Things to Do in Maldives with Family
- By Air: If planning a trip to Maldives then taking a flight is the best option as many flights from other parts of the world are fully connected to Male Airport, which is the largest airport of Maldives.
There are only two international airports in Maldives one of which is the Male Airport which is located on the Male Island and the other one is the Gan Airport in the Addu City. Airlines including the Etihad Airways, Jet Airways, Air India, British Airways, Cathay Pacafic and Emerald connect multiple parts of the world with this beautiful country.
- By Sea: Since Maldives is a group of small beautiful islands, reaching here by a cruise is also possible. You can easily find cruises towards Maldives from various countries which are all inclusive and offer stay, food and activities on the board too. However, most of these cruise journeys do not end in Maldives and only stop there for a while, thus providing you with a proper transportation option through the sea.
Legally, if you are not a Muslim and over 18, you can purchase and drink alcohol. However, given the fact that Maldives is majorly an Islamic nation, alcohol here is effectively banned for the locals. However, the bars, resorts and clubs always stock alcohol.
Maldives is pretty liberal in this sense. The government issues a 30 day stamp to any landing visitor who holds a passport of their home nation. Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Nepalese citizens are allowed a 90- day stamp. If you wish to stick around for a longer period of time, you might as well extend the 30 day stamp or leave when the 30 days end and return after few days.
Please be well versed about the country rules and remember the name of your resort/ hotel and produce your return ticket out of Maldives, if enquired by the immigration authorities. Visas are not required for travelers who plan to stay here for less than or equal to 30 days. Just a valid passport shall do.
Official currency is Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) which is non-convertible. The US dollar is accepted across Maldives. You can exchange other international currencies on arrival, at the Bank of Maldives Foreign Exchange located in the arrival hall. This bank is the dedicated functioning body for currency exchange in Maldives. It is advised not to exchange your money in Male banks, as travelers commonly end up facing long queues at the counters.
The exchange receipt is an important piece of document which can later support you at the time of departure, to change MVR back to your home currency. Please note the banks in Maldives take greater care about the condition of the notes under exchange. They generally refuse old style US$ and damaged notes.
1. Majeedhee Magu: Majeedhee Magu is one of the important places in Maldives that is home to a number of shopping destinations. Coming over to this place, you will be able to purchase a wide range of products such as electronics, accessories, perfumes, watches, cosmetics, bags, and shoes. This place can be considered to be catering to all kinds of shoppers who look out to go for international brands.
2. Island Bazaar: Despite the fact that it is a newcomer to the shopping scene in Maldives, this place offers the customers with a beautiful blend of style products that will surely capture the Maldivian life. Visiting this place, you will be able to get hand printed cushions and many other home decor products that are designed with ocean blue prints, and tropical leaves.
3. Le Cute: Le Cute is one of the best places in Maldives where you can get duty free items. Tourists visit this place to stroll across shopping malls and complexes dealing with scent and perfumes, beauty products, and toiletries. This place is also famous for its herbal healthcare products. The island emphasises on the use of the herbal products so that the coral reefs are not damaged. Getting herbal products of high quality will also be beneficial on your part.
4. Male Local Market: Male local market is one of the top shopping spots in Maldives because of it being jam packed with shops dealing with loads of products. This place is widely famous among the tourists because of the quality of the offerings at a budget friendly pricing. Visiting this place, one would be able to check into various shopping malls selling vibrant souvenirs and gifts.
Food in Maldives has become purely global with the advent of tourism in this country. The resorts/hotels/restaurants/bars serve some of the best alternatives in terms of gourmet food and casual eating. Many international cuisines sort your days out in Maldives. Fresh sea food is undoubtedly appetizing but vegetarians need not worry, as the island nation has food for all. The original cuisine of Maldives is primarily influenced by Arabic, Indian, Sri Lankan and Oriental recipes. However, you will spot trendy restaurants and cafes serving the best of cuisines across the islands.
You cannot miss their traditional Garudhiya, which is a plate of rice served with fish broth, lime, chilli and onions, the popular breakfast item called Mas Huni, which is made out of shredded smoked fish with crushed coconut and onions or try getting your hands on some Fihunu Mas, barbequed fish marinated with chili paste. Naming a few restaurants for you to check:
The best public transport in Maldives is definitely the boat/ ferry rides for obvious reasons. The transportation can be fast and expensive or slow and reasonably priced. Whatever the case may be, you will enjoy every bit of the ride in this region.
Air: There are couple of internal flights which connect Male to 9 local airstrips almost every day. One expensive yet convenient and exclusive mode of transport is the seaplane run by Trans Maldivian Airways. You can book your seats in one of these seaplanes and get transported comfortably, saving on time, to your resort directly from the Male Airport.
Boat: As mentioned earlier, due to obvious reasons, boat rides or ferry rides or cruises become a great way to enjoy the Maldivian shores. Speedboats are a fast medium and those who are looking around for a cheaper set of options, must hop onto one of the public ferries.
Car: A lot of islands have kept themselves car free. You will find cars only in Male and other larger islands. Local taxis will take you around in smaller islands and of course in case you choose not to drive on your vacation, these cabs will take you places.
Local language of Maldives is Dhivehi. Following are the most commonly used greetings you can take note of:
Maldives is a secret garden of mesmerizing beaches. Most of the resorts have private beaches. This place has several atolls that are world famous and a tremendous marine life. Some of the popular names are:
Locals do not drink alcohol so the pubs will usually have tourists. The place loves to be peaceful without much happening in the night. You can retire in your resort lounge or go to some local bar. Clubbing is existent in Maldives but restricted to few islands and there are a set of really entertaining and fabulous names to check out in this category.
Shopping at certain places in Maldives are a bit on the higher side such as shopping at the souvenir shop in the resort or at the Male International Airport. If you have a good amount of the time to spare on shopping, then it would be better if you can stroll through the markets in Male which are affordable.
There are various reliable and famous names involved in this business. And the tourists are kept superbly entertained over the cruise journeys.
If you enjoy sports over your vacation, snorkeling is a great sport to have fun with. Some of the best places to Snorkel in Maldives are as below:
Your trip to Maldives is incomplete without surfing and if you are a good swimmer then more so. The best months to surf are April to October. For your life’s best surfing experience, you got to check out the following in Maldives: